Cherokee Family Structure

t is believed the Cherokee tribe originated in the Great Lakes area and are of Iroquoian descent. Due to unknown circumstances, the tribe eventually migrated to the Southeast portion of the the United States. The first record of interactions with the Cherokee people was in the sixteenth century with Spanish explorers. The Cherokee people have been considered highly innovative and adaptive. For example, instead of the traditional teepee, they built log cabins. As one of the largest Indian tribes, they branched off into smaller tribes yet remained connected by strong spiritual beliefs. After the European colonists came in the 1800s, the Cherokees did their best to adapt to new ways of life more in sync with the European settlers (indians.org).
Families value and respect all members, young and old, and rely on one another for support. Elders, or older members of the tribe, are especially esteemed for their wisdom and life experience. The word family does not only mean immediate blood relations for Cherokee people, but extended family, other tribal or community members, or anyone else taken in as family. In Cherokee culture, an individual acts for the good of the family, not just themselves (Garrett, Herring 2001).
Cherokee culture is matriarchal, which means the woman is the head of the family. Not only is the culture matriarchal, but it is also matrilineal. The importance of the females in the family is emphasized and it was custom women stayed with their birth families. Male leadership was valued, but not vital in daily life. The key words to describe Cherokee family structure are flexible, interdependent, and inclusive. Families make decisions to best fit the needs of the entire family, and make necessary changes to adjust to new environments. The family structure for Cherokee culture has remained mostly unchanged throughout the years (sustaining the
In the United States, completion of college or another technical school helps people find specialized jobs which pay more than minimum wage earnings. As stated previously, only 11.3% of the Native American population receiving a bachelor’s degree (McAuliffe 2013). Consequently, as of 2010, only 55.7% of the Cherokee Nation is employed (US Dept. of Int). This is congruent with McAuliffe’s statistics stating the average unemployment rate of Native Americans as 45%. (2010 p.